10 Bundesliga Players Who Could Transfer in January Window
The first half of the 2014-15 Bundesliga campaign is nearing its end, and as winter approaches, the topic of squad planning for the second half of the season is coming to the fore.
January offers the clubs the chance to bring in reinforcements and to rid themselves of any excess. It also affords underused or otherwise dissatisfied players the chance to make the jump to another club or league.
The international media has been rife with transfer rumors as of late, many of which have concerned players from the German top flight. With January drawing nearer, B/R takes a close look at some of the Bundesliga stars who could be on the move this winter.
Click "Begin Slideshow" for a look at the top candidates, arranged in alphabetical order by surname.
Josip Drmic
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Josip Drmic was one of the breakout stars of the Bundesliga last season; although his Nurnberg side were relegated, the Switzerland international scored 17 goals and earned a transfer to Bayer Leverkusen.
Since moving to the North Rhine-Westphalia, however, Drmic has struggled to impose himself. He's played just one match from start to finish, his role diminished to that of a substitute who is given around 20 minutes per match to show his quality.
Saturday was an exception. Drmic was given 45 minutes to show his quality and scored two goals and assisted another in the derby with Cologne. That match could be a turning point, but if it doesn't change coach Roger Schmidt's appraisal of the player, Drmic could be heading for an early end to his Leverkusen career.
Drmic's talent is well known, and German source Bild earlier this month reported that Hamburg and Werder Bremen were interested in bringing him in to bolster their respective forward lines. And although Leverkusen CEO Michael Schade publicly denied (via German-language Swiss newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung) B04 has any intention of selling Drmic, the striker may push for a move if his situation does not improve in the near future.
Roberto Firmino
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Roberto Firmino has absolutely exploded to stardom over the last 15 months, and the 23-year-old is now widely regarded as one of the most talented young players in Europe.
Averaging approximately a goal or assist per game ever since the beginning of the 2013-14 campaign, it's no mystery why big clubs are alleged to be chasing his signature.
The Express recently reported that Manchester United are favorites to sign Firmino ahead of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, although Hoffe sporting director Alexander Rose was later quoted by the Daily Star as saying that he has no intention of selling his coveted star before next summer.
Hoffenheim have a history of doing pragmatic business, however, having sold Luiz Gustavo to Bayern in January of 2011. If the price is right, they may just let go of Firmino, who recently scored in his debut for Brazil.
Pierre Hojbjerg
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One of two Bayern players on this list, Pierre Hojbjerg is a likely candidate to leave Munich this winter in search of more regular game time. The Dane recently revealed to German source Kicker (h/t FIFA.com) that he is dissatisfied with his situation and is prepared to leave the Allianz Arena.
Although Hojbjerg has recently been used more in Pep Guardiola's plans following injuries to a long list of midfielders, the 19-year-old's situation is unlikely to change significantly.
Philipp Lahm will miss the first few weeks of action following the winter break before he returns from his ankle injury, and Bastian Schweinsteiger is already is approaching the fitness needed to overtake Hojbjerg in the starting lineup.
There are many possible scenarios for Hojbjerg—who could either leave on loan or permanently. But what appears more and more certain is that the Dane will leave Munich in January.
Mats Hummels
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Ever since his early days in Dortmund, Mats Hummels has been a coveted player in the transfer market. And after his fine performances for Germany at the 2014 World Cup, his stock has risen again: As of July, his valuation, according to Transfermarkt, is €35 million.
There has been a lot of noise in tabloids about interest in Hummels, and according to The Guardian, Manchester United are considering tabling a bid for the defender.
Unlike many players on this list, Hummels is a regular first-team player for a club that will be reluctant to sell a prized asset. The Germany international's contract is valid until the end of June 2017.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
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Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's contract at Schalke expires in 2015, and accordingly, his name has come up in the British press as a possible transfer target for Premier League clubs.
The Mirror claims that Liverpool and Arsenal are both keen to sign the experienced striker, though the news source also states he recently held talks with Schalke over a new deal.
Right now, Schalke are in a dangerous position. The Gelsenkirchen side are in serious danger of missing out on next season's Champions League, while (Saturday's surprise hat-trick aside) Huntelaar's performance has not exactly matched his club-leading €7 million-per-year (per Bild) earnings.
If player and club are unable to reach an agreement, it's conceivable that Huntelaar may be offloaded in January.
Loris Karius
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Loris Karius has enjoyed a swift rise to prominence at Mainz. The 21-year-old broke into the first team at the Coface Arena about a year ago and is now potentially on the verge of a big transfer.
FSV will be kicking themselves for not signing the goalkeeper to a longer deal when he joined them in 2012; he now has just over half a season left on his current contract and the small Rhine-area club may have to compete with some big teams to keep their talented stopper.
Karius is on Hertha BSC's radar according to Bild, while Benfica and Liverpool (via Bild) were linked with the goalkeeper in August. Although Mainz will be reluctant to sell their goalkeeper, if they cannot reach an agreement with him, it is possible that they may cash in before his contract expires.
Pierre-Michel Lasogga
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Pierre-Michel Lasogga was one of the few bright spots for Hamburg during what amounted to a campaign to forget last season.
The striker was often injured, but he was ruthlessly efficient when healthy and earned a call-up to Joachim Low's senior Germany squad in February.
This season has not gone very well for Hamburg or for their 22-year-old star striker. Although he's played regularly, Lasogga has scored just just twice and seems to lack motivation when he steps onto the pitch.
A fresh start at a new club could be what he needs, although it will be difficult to prise him away from HSV, where he has a contract that runs until 2019.
Xherdan Shaqiri
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Of all the players on this list, perhaps the most likely to transfer is Xherdan Shaqiri. The 23-year-old recently told Swiss source Blick (h/t Goal.com) that Bayern denied his request for a transfer during the summer.
His situation has hardly changed, the attacking midfielder having rarely played this season and doing so without the sharpness and energy he once brought to the club when he has. He has very much appeared to be a player resigned to leaving Munich with little interest in sticking his neck out for the club in the meantime.
Bayern and Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer was last week quoted by Sport1 (h/t Daily Mail) as stating that Bayern have indicated to Shaqiri that he will probably be allowed to leave in January, pending offers. And considering the class the Switzerland international has shown in the past, he should have more than a couple of interested suitors.
Juventus, Liverpool and Manchester United (via the Daily Star) are said to be among the clubs in pursuit of Shaqiri, who is under contract at Bayern until 2016.
Kevin Trapp
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Kevin Trapp has emerged as one of the Bundesliga's best goalkeepers. He's done superbly well for Frankfurt. But with his contract running for only half a year more, it could be that the 24-year-old's time at Eintracht is nearing an end.
The Adler have had the misfortune of being without Trapp for the majority of the Bundesliga season thus far, although it could be a blessing in disguise, as it's given them the chance to blood his backup, Felix Wiedwald.
The once-capped Germany under-20 international has exceeded expectations, and Frankfurt have hardly missed Trapp as a result. If the player does not commit to a new deal in the coming weeks and there is an interested club, he could be offloaded in January.
Carlos Zambrano
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Much like Trapp, Carlos Zambrano is an Eintracht Frankfurt player who has proven himself well worthy of a starting role, but who has been injured for much of the current season and has a contract that expires at season's end.
While Trapp is expected to return to action before the winter break, however, Zambrano may not be fit until early February, which could affect his desirability.
On the other hand, it would be much easier for an interested party to secure Zambrano's services for a nominal fee than compete with the many other clubs that will surely be interested in his services once he is available on a free transfer.
And with Frankfurt having dealt well enough during the Peru international's absence, it's possible that they could sell him this January.
